English guide book about St. Olavsleden – a pilgrim path from Sweden to Norway

St. Olavsleden is Scandinavia’s answer to El Camino, through deep forests to open countryside and lakes. The Pilgrim path stretches 560 kilometres through Sweden and Norway from the Baltic Sea to the Atlantic. The path starts in Selånger, where King Olav Haraldsson stepped ashore in July 1030 after several years in exile. He marched his army to Norway, determined to convert the country to Christianity and win back the throne. The journey ended in Stiklestad, where Olav fell in battle on 29 July 1030.

Now, in time for the start of the hiking season, the guide book St. Olavsleden – a pilgrims path in northern Scandinavia will be released. As the number of international guests on the trail increases, the need for an English guide book is also increasing.

“Since the release of the Swedish edition of the guide we have delivered books to about ten countries all over the world, and we have also noted quite a few inquiries regarding an English version. With the great international interest in the trail that we experience we are now very happy to be able to present an English edition,” says Benny Eronson at Vildmarksbiblioteket, publisher of the guide book.

The book is written by the authors Staffan Söderlund and Marie Sjöström who have written a number of guide books for hiking in different parts of Sweden. The Swedish edition S:t Olavsleden – pilgrimsfärd från hav till hav, en guide was published in June last year and sold more than 1,000 copies in the first few months.

The guide book contains detailed descriptions of the stages from Selånger in Sweden to Trondheim in Norway, both for hiking, cycling and horseback riding. There is also much to read about history, culture and about experiencing the nature along the trail. An English guide book will increase the possibility of marketing the trail in other countries even more.

“Booklets and the website are available in several languages, and now we take the next step regarding guide books. Right now, a Dutch guide book is also being produced at a Dutch publisher. Since we started working on reviving this 1,000-year-old pilgrim trail, we have been convinced that the target audience is foreign hikers. This summer, for instance, we will have hikers from both Texas and Namibia, which is a clear example of St. Olavsledens international appeal,” says Putte Eby, project manager St. Olavsleden.

Both the Swedish and the English book will be available for purchase at lodges and shops along the trail, in book shops and at vildmarksbiblioteket.se